Cited by 651Birth, Development, and HealthPregnancy and preeclampsia studiesPrenatal Substance Exposure Effects

Fetal Origins of Adult Disease

Open access
Calkins, Kara, Devaskar, Sherin U.·2011·Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care

Abstract

Dr. David Barker first popularized the concept of fetal origins of adult disease (FOAD). Since its inception, FOAD has received considerable attention. The FOAD hypothesis holds that events during early development have a profound impact on one's risk for development of future adult disease. Low birth weight, a surrogate marker of poor fetal growth and nutrition, is linked to coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance. Clues originally arose from large 20th century, European birth registries. Today, large, diverse human cohorts and various animal models have extensively replicated these original observations. This review focuses on the pathogenesis related to FOAD and examines Dr. David Barker's landmark studies, along with additional human and animal model data. Implications of the FOAD extend beyond the low birth weight population and include babies exposed to stress, both nutritional and nonnutritional, during different critical periods of development, which ultimately result in a disease state. By understanding FOAD, health care professionals and policy makers will make this issue a high health care priority and implement preventive measures and treatment for those at higher risk for chronic diseases.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cppeds.2011.01.001

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  • Some effects of early environmental exposure may be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms.

    “Some of these effects may be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms.66,67”
  • Neonates exposed to HDP might have higher blood pressure in adolescence than neonates from healthy pregnancies.

    “Neonates exposed to HDP might have higher blood pressure when entering adolescence than neonates from healthy pregnancies205–208.”

    From A global view of hypertensive disorders and diabetes mellitus during pregnancy (2022) · cites this paper as [205]

    The References section lists a study of blood pressure in 12-year-old children born after maternal preeclampsia, but gives no findings or comparison with children from healthy pregnancies. The Premature Infant section discusses higher offspring blood pressure after other prenatal exposures, not hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Our copy therefore does not establish the claimed comparison. (LLM, conf=0.70)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [18]Nyirenda MJ Lindsay RS Kenyon CJ Burchell A Seckl JR Glucocorticoid exposure in late gestation permanently programs rat hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucocorticoid receptor expression and causes glucose intolerance in the adult offspring J Clin Invest 1988 101 2174 81 9593773 PMC508805

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Authors
Calkins, K., & Devaskar, S. U.
Affiliations
University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Venue
Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-07
Volume
41
Issue
6
Pages
158-176
ISSN
  • 1538-3199 (ISSN-L)
  • 1538-5442
OpenAlex
W2070872186
Cited by
651
References
156
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 55 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 21
FWCI
4.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD-33997, R01HD025024, HD25024, HD 41230, K12HD00140, R01HD041230, HD-046979, K12HD001400, R01HD033997, R01HD046979)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
Keywords
fetal origins of adult disease, Barker hypothesis, low birth weight, fetal growth restriction, coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, developmental origins of health and disease, chronic disease risk, birth cohort studies, animal models
MeSH terms
Chronic Disease, Female, Humans, Infant, Low Birth Weight, Infant, Newborn, Male, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Risk Factors, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Fetal Development, Epigenomics

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